South Africa veteran actress, Nomhle Nkonyeni, has died.

The recipient for the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver died early Wednesday morning, aged 77.

After being in the industry for over 50 years, the great icon's accolades include being recognised with lifetime achievement awards as well as the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality' renaming Aggrey Road in New Brighton after her.

John Kani, South Africa actor, took to Twitter to express his loss saying, “I am deeply saddened by the passing of a great friend Nomhle Nkonyeni… have no words to express my pain.”

In 1961, a 19-year-old Nkonyeni co-founded The Serpent Players alongside the likes of Norman Ntshinga and John Kani to plough back to New Brighton. 

Nkonyeni became a household name by featuring on a number of South African soapies such as Gaz’lam, Mzansi, Society, Tsha Tsha, Zero Tolerance, and Scandal! Some of her film appearances include Catch a Fire (2006), Sew the Winter to My Skin (2018), Of Good Report (2013) and Skin (2008), to name a few.

Speaking to Nelson Mandela Bay’s HeraldLive earlier this year, Nkonyeni expressed how her final wish was to establish an arts academy in New Brighton. “When I am no more, I want to leave a young girl behind who will be able to tell our African stories. There is an abundance of talent here, in fact, most of the talent that’s in Johannesburg comes from the Eastern Cape… It’s my dream to leave a legacy behind – I don’t want God to ask me when I get up there what I’ve done with the talent He’s given me.”